The Oyster Project is dedicated to oyster restoration in the estuaries of Massachusetts. Oyster reefs provide shelter for 100 other species including shrimp, eels, lobsters and the young of many commercial species. Oysters also are tremendous water cleaners as each filters 30 gallons of water per day.

Friday, May 10, 2013

Cool Massachusetts Beach Application for Summer Swim Guide

Our friends at Mass Baykeepers have begun hosting an application for information on Mass Bay beaches. What the application does is provide water quality information on the various beaches so that the user can know if a beach is open and what the water quality status is.

You can download it
from the app store on itunes, google play, or at swimguide.org.

While it is useful to beach-goers, there are other elements to it as well. The app is eyeopening as through it one can see the abundance of beaches, the number lost due to water quality in beach postings as well as the opportunity that lies before us.

Here are a list of its functions-

Find your closest beach using list, map, or search tools

Discover a wide variety of beaches, ranging from city parks to remote lakes ideal for camping

Identify at a glance which beaches are clean for swimming (Green) and which have water quality problems (Red) in real-time

Get walking, driving, or transit directions to the beach of your choice

Bookmark beaches for easy access

Invite your friends to join you at the beach using Facebook, Twitter, email and SMS text messaging

Report pollution or environmental concerns

The Swim Guide gives you original
descriptions with photographs of over 1,500 different beaches so you can
learn a bit of history and geography as you explore!

About the Mass Oyster Project for Clean Water

MOP is a 501c-3 non-profit dedicated to restoring water-cleansing oysters to Boston Harbor after their being absent for decades. Each oyster can filter 30 gallons of water per day. An oyster reef can shelter up to 100 other species so they dramatically add to biodiversity. Oysters also sequester nitrogen in wastewater and each person creates 12 pounds per year. Oyster shells contain calcium carbonate a known buffer that can help offset ocean acidification. MOP has shown that oysters can survive and grow in Boston Harbor. The group is now seeking to optimize placements to maximize survival and eventually show reproduction. Come join us in making your Harbor healthier!